


Comeback Kid

by Rachaelizame



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, The Calling, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-22
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-02-05 12:13:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12794313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rachaelizame/pseuds/Rachaelizame
Summary: Kieran is content with his lot in life. Helping the famed Abolitionist in her quests, aiding his stepmother in caring for the children, and catching up on the reading he missed while on the road.So, of course, his little brother had to find himself in trouble.A time travel fic.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So if you've ever read any of my works, you know I love original child characters, and I felt this story had to have at least one for any sense to be made, and then I decided to send him back too, because what's better than a company who knows nothing about children keeping a toddler from stumbling into darkspawn?
> 
> Also I love time travel fics and no one had written many for Dragon Age that had my specific qualifications so...
> 
> Note this chapter is very short, other chapters will hopefully be longer.

Kieran tried not to grin at Eivor as he snuck up behind his mother. The young prince and the regent Queen, Natala, were close, closer than most queens and their children. Kieran wondered at Natala’s ability to keep time open to spend with her son and daughter. Ever since their father had been Called to the Deep Roads two months before, Natala had been busier than ever.

Kieran frowned again at the memory of his father’s death. He’d probably lasted a while, but his abilities only stretched so far and he’d gone down there to die anyway. Kieran sent a fervent thought to any god that may exist and be benevolent that he’d managed. He knew his father wouldn’t want to be in thrall to the darkspawn.

He turned back to Eivor and Natala, grinning when the boy jumped up in front of his mother. She seemed genuinely startled, which spoke to how hard she must have been thinking to have not noticed the four year old before her.

Natala scolded Eivor, but gently enough for him to know she wasn’t truly mad, just worried about dropping baby Elissa in her arms. The infant’s namesake had gotten her Calling a month before Alistair. Kieran hoped they’d gotten one last chance to reunite before their deaths.

The newborn Elissa opened her eyes, mouth searching immediately for sustenance.

“Kieran, darling, could you watch your brother? I need to feed Ellie.” Natala asked. Kieran wasn’t especially close to his stepmother, but she cared for him and they were useful to each other. Kieran nodded, setting down the large tome he’d been reading as research for Audrye.

He walked over to Eivor, scooping him up into his arms. He wasn’t an especially exuberant teenager, but around his silly little half brother, his playful side came out. As he did so, and as Natala left to feed and change Elissa, Audrye herself entered the room.

The young elf girl, only a few years older than Kieran’s seventeen years, seemed frantic. Her eyes sought out Kieran immediately.

“Kieran. I’ve found something. It looks like a rift, but not exactly. I’ve already contacted the Herald, anyway. But I need you to read the runes for me.”

“Of course Audrye. But why me? Victor knows more about runes than me.”

“Because you’re my Witch of the Wilds! My expert in ancient and weird magic! And this… is certainly weird.” Kieran nodded his head at her explanation, moving to set Eivor down. The toddler whined at him in protest, so Kieran kept carrying him.

He followed Audrye through the palace and out into Denerim. She led him to the edge of the city where there was indeed something that looked like a rip in space. The area was cordoned off, but people stood curiously and fearfully at the edges of the barriers.

Audrye and Kieran made their way through the crowd easily. There were certainly advantages to travelling with the famed Abolitionist. Kieran stared at the rift. There were vague images in it, seeming to be blurred beyond recognition. Kieran set Eivor down and moved closer to it, stretching a hand out to prevent his brother from getting too close. Eivor seemed content to simply stare at the rift, looking at the new image of two people speaking.

Kieran studied the runes carefully for a long moment.

“I don’t think it’s a grave threat. I don’t quite know what it does, but it appears to be a portal. Transporting you to… somewhere in the real world. I would keep people away, but ‘tis not something we need to fear. Worst come to worst, the victim could simply walk back home.”

Audrye let out a relieved sigh.

“Good. I’ll call some guards to watch over it and- Eivor!” The boy was now toddling closer to the rift, staring up at it in wonder. He spoke quietly.

“Daddy?” Kieran didn’t have time to react to that statement, already lunging forward to get the boy away from the portal.

But as his arms closed around the boy, he brushed up against the rift, and suddenly, everything went dark.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again short, sorry.

Kieran sat up as soon as he came back to himself, almost hitting the man leaning above him in the head.

“Father?” He began. “No, sorry, you’re not my father. You do look like him, but no, you’re not him. Has anyone ever told you that?”

The Alistair lookalike in front of him seemed bemused.

“No, I can’t say anyone’s ever told me I look like their father.”

“Well of course not, you’re too young. I meant, you look a good deal like- well, it’s not important. Where’s Eivor?”

“Who? The boy?”

“Yes.” The fact that this man didn’t seem to recognize the Prince of Fereldan was mildly worrying, but might only mean they’d gone further from Denerim than Kieran had expected. After all, it wasn’t like everyone in Fereldan had seen their young Prince.

“He’s getting checked over in my friend Leliana’s tent. We needed to ensure there wasn’t… other damage.”

“Other? He was fine when I last saw him. What did you do to him? And damage? What a strange word to use. Let me assure you, if you and your company are slavers, you’ve made a grave mistake.”

“No!” The man said, seeming offended. “Just a bad choice of words. We’re not slavers. We rescued you from the slavers.”

“How convenient.” The man threw his hands up in the air.

“I don’t know what to tell you then.”

“Let me see Eivor.”

“I was never stopping you. Come with me.” Kieran stood to follow the man, walking past a pile of scattered things. He spotted his staff among them and itched to reach for it, but wasn’t ready to fight for it yet if these people were dangerous. He needed more information.

He followed the man before him, not willing to admit how his heart was aching at the sight of the man in front of him. He looked so similar Kieran nearly wondered if they were related, but the timelines didn’t really work for any man in his family to have conceived such a child.

Still, didn’t they say you had at least one lookalike in the world? It seemed Kieran had found his father’s.

They exited the large tent that had been set up to see people dragging away dead bodies. Presumably those of the supposed slavers. Kieran didn’t pay much attention to any of them, too focused on finding his brother. The man led him to a nearby, smaller tent and they ducked inside.

“Leli!” The man called. The redheaded woman treating his brother peered up at them, and Kieran stood stock still. That- that was Leliana. What? How could there be two lookalikes of significant people from his life? Was this a dream? It didn’t feel like they were in the Fade, but what other explanation…

He paused in his thoughts as he recalled a few runes he hadn’t understood. They’d spoken of time and distance and he couldn’t make sense of them. Had someone been messing around with time travel magic again?

It seemed… so impossible, yet he couldn’t escape the idea. He knew unusual magics were possible so it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility. Still.

He turned his gaze to Eivor and his blood ran cold. The boy was bruised badly on his back. It didn’t look like whipping marks, but clearly something had hit him hard. He rushed to Eivor’s side.

“Eivor? Who did this?”

“Bad men. Leli helped me. She’s a nice lady.” The redhead giggled at the boy’s attention.

“Thank you, Eivor.” She said. Kieran frowned as Eivor turned his head and caught sight of the man who’d led him here.

“Daddy?” He spoke, unsure, but clearly warming up to the idea. “Daddy!”

“Oh, uh, n-no. I’m not your… dad.” The man Kieran was increasingly thinking truly was Alistair said.

“Eivor. I know it looks like him. But it isn’t Father.” Eivor drooped in his seat.

“But- I want Daddy.” Kieran wasn’t a touchy-feely person, but Eivor was, so he pulled him up into his arms.

“I’m sorry.” Alistair said. “Was- it a recent loss?” Kieran nodded. Somehow, he’d already been on the way to forgetting how perceptive his father could be.

“Yes. Two months ago.”

“I want Daddy. And Auntie ‘Lissa.” Eivor began to pout.

“Sorry, he’s been like this since their passing. It was- an illness. Our aunt went first, and a month later, Father followed. He- doesn’t truly understand it yet.”

“Of course. It’s hard for ones so young.” Leliana spoke.

“As I said when I woke, you look a good deal like our father. He must have noticed as well. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. I understand.” Kieran smiled sadly.

“May I take him with me? Are you done with him?”

“Let me ask Wynne. She’s the one truly looking everyone over. I was simply telling him a story.” With that, Leliana left Kieran, Eivor, and Alistair alone.

“Well. I ought to check on everyone else.” Alistair began. Kieran ached to ask him to stay but what excuse did he have for that? He could hardly tell them the truth. Not only did it sound ridiculous, nor did he have proof, but also, they’d want to know what happened. They would have no ill intentions, but knowing what might happen in the future could change things, and not necessarily for the better, no matter their intentions. If they were prepared, certainly some bad outcomes might be avoided, but who was to say worse things wouldn’t come of it? Not Kieran that was for sure.

He turned to Eivor. And how was he supposed to explain this to him? The boy was simply too young to understand what was going on. He supposed he’d simply have to hope for the best. It wasn’t his favorite plan, but it had worked before. He’d have to hope his luck held out.


End file.
